11-Dec-2019, 09:08
(09-Dec-2019, 04:49)sfdude Wrote: I am curious how the Ref 3 sounds with a single 220. The description of the Ref 1 being flat worries me as I am considered KEF speakers. I haven’t heard issues of this with the Reference series as they are quite good both at soundstage and depth qualities. But then again, also depends on the room a lot as well.
I think you should see flat as a good thing. Because SAM does introduce more stable sound stage. That is still really really good. Flat in my ears means not too excited/harmonics/distortion. It's just not something I was used to. Before this, I had a bi-amped Exposure 2010S2 set, which wasn't very powerful.
(09-Dec-2019, 09:54)ogs Wrote: I don't think 'flat' is much used as a descriptor for sound quality. For me, 'flat' would translate to 'dead', 'lifeless', 'boring'. I have never heard a Devialet Expert sounding like this. On the contrary; it sounds quite dynamic and exiting. Maybe we should ask @gitaarwerk to define a little better what he means by 'flat' to avoid any misunderstandings.
Its not lifeless, but maybe its less distortion what makes the difference sound more flat than it used to be. The exposures, looking at the noise/thd charts, tell me they are really not so great distortion. While i.e. Devialet or other brands as Accuphase E207 are. That, could exactly be the issue. If the distortion is a nice harmonic, it does add to the sound. It excites, but is not a fair reproduction. So I would say if that's my reference point, the devialet sounds "more boring" than before. Which is not fair, but it's for me the truth. And as I mentioned earlier, that's just getting used to it. In the end, I would assume devialet users, as me, are in search of great reproduction.
